San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-09-29

|
Nearly all that night lay awake, Won
| dering what new world was this into
which l had got glimpse. And when
slept it was to dream of strange, delicious
things, clothed in shapes new and de-
lightful.
| 1t appeared next morning that Dams
idea of entertaining the cuest was to hand
him entirely over to L.. All the others,
to be sure, had work to co. He was easy
| to amuse when one got over the first shy
ness; and he was so good and thoughtful
that the shyness very soon disappeared.
Surely, of all the delightful companions
that any girl had mine was the most de-
hghtful. He was always happy; nothing
ever ruffled his temper; he was satisfied
with our simple way of life; he seemed to
want nothing else than to go about all
day long with me; he never tired of play
ing to us in the evening; he even encOur-
| aged my ignorant prattle, which must
have seemed to him so silly, and preferred
| hearing me talk to telling me stories of
| the great world.
He came in August, he stayed with US
| all through September and October; he
| came when the corn was ripening; he
stayed after the corn was got in, and even
the cider apples gathered. lived, for my
part, in FOOLS paradise, thinking it
would last forever.
| The beginning of trouble came from
| Joshua Mech.
We were so happy, Dan and I, with our
new friend, that we hardly noticed the
strange fact that Joshua, who had been
| wont to spend at least one evening in the
week with us, had only visited us once
since Mr.. Campion came. And that even
| ing on which our guest played he sat look
| ing glum and i'll tempered. One day in
| October, never dreaming that Mr.. Cam
| pion was in any way associated with
| Joshua's i'll temper, took him across the
| fields to show him Joshua's mill. 1t GER
tainly was the prettiest of all mills; not
one of the great towers which spread out
long arms, and seem as II they are going
| to catch you up in the air, and carry you
round and round till you fly off and are
| killed-not at all like one of them, but a
| sweet and lovely water mill.
We found Joshua standing at the door;
he was covered all over with -four, as be-
comes the sober, hard working miller,
looking as if his thoughts never ran on
| anything more venturous than sacks of
corn and the everlasting grunting of his
waterwheel. When he saw us, however,
his face cloIded over, and, instead of
coming TO greet us, he retired within the
mill.
ran to the door and called him out.
He came, scowling at Will, who was
seated on trunk of tree.
care you going to stay long in these
| parts, young gentleman he asked.
There was something in his tone which
Will resented.
"Perhaps shall, " he said, shortly.
at depends, stIppose," said Joshua,
ION how long you like to dangle about
with young girl. We don't like London
| ways in this part of the country"
Will flushed red.
1--WE will discuss this subject when the
young lady is not present." he said.
81 shall be glad Of an opportunity,
said Joshua, slowly. "Why, there, that's
| spoke like a man. Maybe can get round
| to Rousdon in the evening""
/ ought to have known, but l did not,
what this meant.
You see, it was fighting time. If COM
mon men quarreled with each other, or
with gentlemen, they had it out at once
with fists or quarter staff. Gentlemen
fought with pistols. Friends and seconds
saw fair play.
viii, in fact, was going to fight Joshua
| Mech.
"What does he mean?" asked, pres
| emily, when w ,ud left our sulky Joshua,
and were walking in the meadow beside
| the alder trees. What does he mean by
dangling with young girlY l am the
young girl, suppose2"
81 suppose you are, Pleasance," he re-
| piled. "Sit down on this stile and l will
| tell you what he means"
sat on the upper bar of the stile, VIII
on the second step, and he looked up in
| my face with those smiling, steadfast
| eyes of his, which always went straight to
my heart.
"Joshua Mech MEANS" he began,
''that some men take delight in stealing
away girls hearts, especially country
| girls hearts, and then leaving them"
did not quite understand.
Don't open your pretty blue eyes too
wide, Pleasance," he went on; 81 will eX-
plain by all illustration. Now listen:
Ever so long ago there was a young
girl about 16 years of age-yOur age
living in the country by the seaside, with
| a jolly old sailor and his two sons, just as
you have been living. She was pretty
| girl-as pretty-as pretty-as you She
had the same blue eyes, the same sweet
face, the same ruby lips, the same smile,
and the same light brown curls, and l
think she wore the same sort Of straw hat. "
"Oh Mr. Campionr' For all of sud-
den found out-myself.
There was a man who lived not far
| from her, man who had a mill. ! think
he was a jealous, austere creature, but he
was in love with this girl"
What did he mean9
''Then there came from London young
man who carried a fiddle and played it.
He was quite commonplace young man,
who had no virtues except that he was
| fond of his fiddle. He came into the coun-
try intending to be quite alone to sail and
| fish, and make music all to himself. He
found, instead Of solitude, a paradise,
peopled with one Eve"
1t sounded very pretty, If l could only
understand it.
"This young man found her society so
delightful that he stayed on. Presently he
began to feel as if he did not care ever to
90 away again-unless-unle she would
go away with him.
Then / understood that he had been
making up little story about himself and
me, and l wondered what else he meant.
suppose looked bewildered.
"My dear, my dear, do you not under
stand mel ?" he caught both my hands and
pressed them to his lips. "Do you not
understand met / want you to promise
TO be my wife"
"Your wife, Mr.. Campion but you are
a gentleman.
'Iisten, little innocent; would you like
me to go away"